Commento su Esodo 33:15

‎ויאמר אליו AND HE SAID UNTO HIM — This is what I desired: for if it is to be by an angel rather do not bring us up from here.

AND HE [Moses] SAID UNTO HIM: IF ‘PANECHA’ (THY PRESENCE) GO NOT WITH ME, CARRY US NOT UP HENCE. The meaning thereof according to Rashi is as follows: “This is what I desired, for if it be by an angel, rather do not carry us up from here.” But G-d forbid! that Moses should say, If Thy presence go not, after he had already been promised, My presence shall go!
And Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra explained that G-d said to Moses: “I Myself will go, and only you will I give rest, for only with you will I go [but I will not dwell in the midst of the people].” But Moses replied: “If Your presence does not go with the whole nation, carry us not up hence.” This is why Moses used the plural, “carry us up.” But this interpretation too, does not fit the verses properly. For Moses said at first, Thou hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me⁴⁷⁹Verse 12. — in the singular. Now even at the time of G-d’s good-will, before the sin [with the golden calf occurred], He also said, Behold, I send an angel before thee, to keep thee by the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared,⁴⁷³Above, 23:20. [and yet this promise too is expressed in the singular — to Moses]! And if you will say that the singular there [before ‘thee’, to keep ‘thee’ etc.] refers to Israel [as one unit], then here also it could be explained to refer to all Israel! Besides, if it is so [as Ibn Ezra interpreted], that Moses requested of G-d that He inform him who is the angel He would send with him, then we see that Moses was satisfied with the angel, concerning whom it is said, for My Name is in him,⁴⁷⁵Ibid., 23:21. and G-d answered him with a double, and redoubled, beneficence, over and above that which he had asked for — that He Himself would go!
But this section of Scripture cannot possibly be grasped by one who has not heard the secrets of the Torah. The following is its meaning by way of the Truth. Moses said, and Thou hast not let me know who is the angel Thou wilt send with me, and he requested that He fulfill two things He had said to him: firstly, that I know thee by Name, meaning [G-d said to Moses] that “I will be known to you by My [Great] Name, for your sake” [and this was now Moses’ request, that he be not divested of this highest degree of prophecy on account of the incident of the calf]. It is possible that the phrase, yet Thou hast said, [I know thee by Name], is based upon what He had said to Moses [with reference to the patriarchs], but by My Name the Eternal I made Me not known to them,⁴⁸⁰Above, 6:3. But to Moses He did reveal Himself by His Great Name, as explained there. as I have explained [there]. And secondly Moses had been told: and thou hast also found grace in My sight, meaning that he will find grace, which is the cleaving of knowledge.⁴⁸¹That G-d always be with them in the wilderness face to face (Abusaula). And Moses continued, Now therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found grace in Thy sight,⁴⁸²Verse 13. in the attribute of justice, show me now the paths of the ways⁴⁸³“The paths of goodness with which You conduct Your world, and by which You are known” (Bachya). even as Thou art known by Thy Name, that I may know Thee to declare Thy Unity, to the end that I may find the great grace; and consider that this nation is Thy people — Thou art their Father, and they are Thy children. It is this that Onkelos intended in translating the verse thus: “make me then know the path of Thy goodness to the end that I may know Thy mercy.” Then the Holy One, blessed be He, answered him, My presence shall go — the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in,⁴⁸⁴Malachi 3:1. for in him My presence will be seen, since it is with reference to him that it is said, in an acceptable time have I answered thee;⁴⁸⁵Isaiah 49:8. for My Name is in him.⁴⁷⁵Ibid., 23:21. ‘Vahanichothi lach’ (and I will give thee rest) through him, that he should not conduct himself towards you with the stringent attribute of justice but with the measure which is inclusive of the attribute of mercy, the usage [of the word vahanichothi] being associated with the expression, Therefore it shall be ‘b’haniyach’ (when) the Eternal thy G-d (hath given thee rest) from all thine enemies.⁴⁸⁶Deuteronomy 25:19. This is similar to that which is said, Thus shall Mine anger spend itself, ‘vahanichothi’ (and I will satisfy) My fury upon them.⁴⁸⁷Ezekiel 5:13. Then Moses answered, If Thy presence — Thou Thyself and in Thy Glory — go not, carry us not up hence, for Thou art to be with us face to face,⁴⁸⁸Deuteronomy 5:4. for such were the conditions [as mentioned] in the section of Va’eira.⁴⁸⁹Above, 6:6-8. Likewise Moses mentioned above, with great power and with a mighty hand,⁴⁹⁰Ibid., 32:11. and so now too he asked that He bring them to the Land with great power and with a mighty hand, just as He took them out with them from Egypt.

אם אין פניך הולכים, now already when we are still encamped, seeing that You have withdrawn Your presence, then You better do not bring us any further from here for it would be preferable for us to remain here in the desert than to enter the Holy Land without Your Presence among us. By staying right here, we would at least be exposed to the manifestation of Your continued Presence.